Louder Than Ever
by Bubblegum Rock Princess
Summary: Sequel to Hunger. When Kurt can no longer deal with Blaine and his eating disorder, Blaine's best friend Mike is there to help pick up the pieces. Eventual Bike Chanderson.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I went in a bit of different direction with the sequel. I hope you like it!**

**Thank you to Lena and Gina and everyone else who helped me with this, whether they knew it or not.**

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><p>The split with Kurt had been mutual. Sort of. Blaine had been pushing him away for weeks. Kurt had the best of intentions, he had been <em>trying<em> to help, but at the time it had just seemed kind of smothering. He had ever so kindly waited, delayed things because of him, and waited for his condition to be less fragile. He acted like he didn't care when Kurt finally made the split official. He didn't even cry when Kurt left. But he kind of hadn't eaten since. And it had been three days.

He could blame Kurt for not checking to see if he would be home alone, but it really wasn't his fault. Everything was Blaine's fault. He had been a mentor to Kurt, and then he fell apart. That wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be there for Kurt, but he couldn't see what was going on through all his fucking mental shit. He had rejected Kurt when he was trying to help him, and ignored him when he needed his help. Now he was curled up in a ball in his closet because now he was alone again, completely alone. Blaine had skipped school; he knew he wouldn't have been able to stand seeing Kurt. He didn't even know what to say to him or how to act.

"You should probably lock your doors; you have some pretty nice stuff."

Mike Chang stood in his doorway.

"Am I interrupting your pity party?"

Blaine nodded, but Mike continued his journey into the depths of the room until he stood next to Blaine. He sat down and they remained silent for a while before he seemed to think it necessary to begin a conversation.

"It's kind of funny for me to be sitting in a closet."

Blaine just nuzzled his face deeper into his knees.

"Don't you want to know why?"

"Why Michael Chang, is it funny for you to be sitting in a closet?"

Blaine's words were muffled by his position, but still somewhat audible.

"Because I'm not exactly straight."

At this, Blaine's head shot up.

"Ha! I knew that would get you!"

"So you lied to me to get a response out of me?"

"Nope, I just told you my biggest secret to get a response out of you. But just in case you were worried, this isn't me hitting on you."

"So if you're not straight, what are you?"

"I guess I would classify myself as bisexual. I guess I just didn't feel the need to tell anyone if I was not going to act any way other than heterosexual. But I figured I should tell you, as I am your Asian best friend."

"Actually, I think you're not just my Asian best friend, you're my overall best friend."

"You still haven't reacted yet."

"How am I supposed to react? Am I supposed to congratulate you for coming out of the closet in a closet? Am I supposed to offer to set you up with someone? I don't think Tina would like that."

"I don't know either."

Mike grabbed Blaine's hand. He was a pretty affectionate person, so this move didn't surprise him.

"Why are you here and not at glee club?"

"Because my best friend needed me."

He said it in a way that implied he was holding back a "duh!"

"When was the last time you ate?"

Blaine didn't want him to know, so he just mumbled incoherently.

"Blaine?"

"Friday."

"We are going out. You are going to eat. I don't care if it takes all night."

Blaine didn't want to do it; he didn't want to leave the safety of his closet, or even his bedroom for that matter. He didn't want to be exposed to the emptiness of his house—always house, never home. But he did want to please his best friend. Now that Kurt had abandoned him, Mike Chang was the only person he had left. So he got up and went out with Mike Chang.

They got in Mike's car and drove. Blaine expected to end up at either at Dim Sum or Breadsticks, so he was surprised when they pulled up at the local pizza place.

"Sam's not working today."

That hadn't been a concern of his, but he was glad to hear it nonetheless. The place was nearly empty as it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Blaine didn't want pizza, but he took a seat at the booth Mike guided him to. Mike ordered when the waitress came over.

"One large vegetarian pizza, light on the cheese, two salads with low fat balsamic vinaigrette and two diet root beers please."

She wrote down what he said and walked away, glancing nervously at Blaine. He realized he had been gripping the table. He let go and looked over at Mike.

"I hope what I ordered was okay, it was what Tina and I..."

Blaine knew that a good friend would question Mike's motives in trailing off like that, but he wasn't being a good friend, so he did nothing more than nod. When their drinks came, Blaine couldn't help but stir out the bubbles with his straw. Old habits die hard, and even if he didn't have Kurt to impress, he didn't want to look bloated. Maybe he didn't have to be regular anorexic anymore. It would be nice if he could go back to how things were before; before he had a boyfriend to impress. Too bad everyone knew. Too bad he had a best friend that was insisting upon making him eat. When the waitress brought their food he realized he hadn't spoken since they got there.

Well, he couldn't start now. After he ate his salad he took a slice of pizza and removed all the toppings, eating them one by one. Then he cut up the rest into tiny pieces. When he looked up briefly he met Mike's eyes, and unlike most people who watched him eat, he didn't avert them.

"I'm glad you're eating something, and slowly too. I wouldn't want you to get sick."

"Does everyone know?"

"Does everyone know what?"

"About me and Kurt?"

"So it is true."

"What?"

"I just saw that you weren't at school, and Kurt was acting weird, so I thought that might be it."

"So he hasn't told anyone?"

"Not that I know of, but he might have at glee club."

Blaine pulled out his phone to check his messages. Sure enough there were 12 of them, one for every member of New Directions that was not currently sitting in a booth at a pizza place.

"Yeah, he told them."

He didn't read the messages, and they didn't speak. Mike looked at him expectantly until he grabbed a second slice of pizza and began to eat it in the same fashion as the first. After he finished, Mike drove him home and he went to bed.

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><p>When he woke up the next morning it was to the realization that he had to go to school whether he liked it or not. The opening bars of "Teenage Dream" filled the air and Blaine mentally smacked himself for not having changed his ringtone. He blindly reached for his phone, answered it and pressed it to his ear without opening his eyes.<p>

"Hello?"

"Good morning best friend! Will you be gracing the hallowed halls of William McKinley High with your presence today?"

"Mike?"

"Yes?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. You also have to eat breakfast. But don't pack a lunch; we're going on an adventure."

Blaine mumbled in the affirmative and ended the call. He made a mental note to be nicer to Mike when he saw him. After getting dressed and eating as small of a breakfast as his conscience would let him get away with he drove himself to school for the second time all year. Loneliness was something he would have to get used to. Friends, even a best friend like Michael Chang, were not ever going to be around as often as Kurt used to be. When he got to school he was glad to see that his now ex-boyfriend was not at his locker. It would be easier not to see him. After inputting his combination, he opened the door to find a note.

_The Brainiacs had a before school meeting, so I had a chance to ninja this into your locker before you got here. Speaking of The Brianiacs, you should join. We could use your private school smarts on our side. Back to the point, I have placed a granola bar in your locker along with a bottle of water. You are to consume them sometime before third period. I realized after dinner last night that it probably wasn't a good idea to get you to eat all that food after going three days without, so now I may or may not be forcing you to eat small, frequent meals to get your body out of starvation mode. Meet me back here at lunch for our adventure._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Asian Best Friend_

_Mike Chang_

He was not all that fond of the idea of being forced to eat regularly, but he dutifully shoved the note and the food in his bag along with his books. In his classes he avoided the eyes of his classmates and focused on this work. He had been doing well since he had started eating regularly, so he figured he might as well keep it up. He didn't have a class with Mike until after lunch, so he didn't have a chance to ask about this "adventure" he was planning. Blaine knew his friend to be a rather level headed individual, so this kind of spontaneity surprised him. Regardless, he couldn't help but be a little excited while he ate his snack as instructed before heading to his next class, brainstorming about the possibilities. He had been the first to get to class and was the last to leave, since that seemed to be the best method for avoiding people.

When he got to his locker Mike was already there, dangling his car keys and smiling. Blaine liked it when Mike smiled at him; it made him feel like less of a screw up. They walked out of the school and to the car before he finally had to ask.

"Where are we going?"

"I told you, it's an adventure."

"So it's a surprise?"

"Yup, for both of us, that's what makes it an adventure!"

Blaine blinked back at him. This was a side of Mike Chang he had never seen before. _Blaine_ was the crazy adventurer. Blaine was the man without a plan. Mike made plans as to how he was going to walk down the hall. He wrote up schedules for everything. Sure, when his emotions kicked in he ran on instinct, but the rest of the time he was fairly Type A. Despite his hesitation, he got into the passenger's seat of Mike's car. They drove for a while before he began to inspect the inside of the car for clues. His eyes were immediately drawn to the cliché wicker basket sitting in the back seat.

"Your idea of an adventure is a picnic?"

"No, I just figured we should eat, as it is lunch time."

"And the basket?"

"Is what my mother handed me the moment I mentioned the word picnic. It was sitting in the basement under an unopened box of fireworks and an American flag."

Blaine considered this briefly before deciding not to ask. He had always wanted to go on a picnic. Mind you, that had been with Kurt, but he couldn't really complain—he had a cute boy taking him—no. Not a cute boy, his best friend. His best friend Michael Chang was taking him on an adventure. They drove for a bit longer until Mike seemed satisfied with their location. He got out of the car, grabbed the basket and waited for Blaine.

You could call the little area where they had stopped a park, perhaps, if you squinted and turned your head sideways. It appeared to have once been a park at least. Now it was overgrown, the grass knee high in some places. There was a rusted swing set and some monkey bars, and right in the middle was a large tree. But this wasn't any ordinary tree, not by the definition of the word Blaine had come to accept. For starters it was huge, but that wasn't the strange part. It had branches and leaves and bark, like most other trees, but at the base of the trunk, there was a hole. Not like a hole he'd seen in any other tree. It was like something out of a fairytale. It was tall and wide enough to fit several grown men comfortably.

"Are you coming?"

Mike was standing next to the tree. In Blaine's mind, this confirmed that it was in fact, real. He approached it cautiously, as if it could disappear at any moment. When he stood next to it he couldn't help but press his hand up against it, just in case.

"I was worried you got lost in the tall grass."

"You aren't that much taller than me Mr Chang."

"At least four inches. At least. Also, this tree is entirely real, so you can stop feeling it up and get in here."

Mike had stepped into the tree while Blaine had been distracted by it. He had also lit a few candles.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to burn the tree down. The air's too damp. Come, sit."

Mike was proving to have an uncanny knack for identifying Blaine's worries before even he did.

"So, how did you find this place?"

"I used to live here."

"You used to live in a tree? And they call me a hobbit."

"No silly, I lived in a housing development behind those trees. They tore down all the houses to build a mall or something, but the deal fell through. I moved, but I started coming back here when I got older."

"And the tree?"

"Manmade, sadly. I still really like it though. Anyway, enough of the past, let's eat!"

Mike opened the picnic basket to reveal a rather large array of food. There were grapes, cheese and crackers, peanut butter sandwiches, and a little cooler filled with sushi.

"I thought you were Chinese."

"I like Asian things..."

He trailed off for a second, seemingly lost in thought, but also not breaking eye contact with Blaine. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and blushed, looking away.

"What I mean is that just because I am one nationality, does not mean I can't appreciate what others have to offer."

"Of course it doesn't Michael. I love sushi, thank you for bringing it."

"Oh, there is a food that you love?"

"Quite a few actually; despite recent problems food and I have had, we used to have a lovely relationship."

"Oh?"

"Yup. Three meals a day, every day—for the most part—until I was thirteen, but you know the story from there."

"Actually, I don't. I wasn't there when Kurt told everybody. I only know what you told me."

Blaine took a grape from the basket and inspected it thoroughly before popping it into his mouth.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, I want to, it's just... How important to you are your afternoon classes?"

"Entirely miss able, at least for you."

"Okay then, let me tell you about how I became officially recognized as mentally unstable."

They spent the entire afternoon in that tree. Even when it started raining, Mike continued to listen intently to Blaine's every word as he explained the history of his eating disorder more thoroughly than he had to anyone in months. And when he was done he realized something.

"I don't want to get better for Kurt anymore. I don't have to."

"So you're not going to?"

"No, I'm going to do it for myself. Or at least try to."

For a few moments the only noise was the rain.

"Don't tell your parents, okay?"

"Don't worry, everything you say here stays between you, me and Arthur."

"Arthur?"

"The tree."

"You named the tree Arthur?"

"No, Arthur named the tree Arthur. He was my first crush actually. He had blond ringlets and spoke mostly in questions."

"Would he be jealous of you taking me here?"

"I doubt he remembers the tree, much less me."

"You don't sound too disappointed."

"We were eight. I've had plenty of time to get over him."

They packed up and ran back through the tall grass to the car to avoid getting too wet. Mike dropped him off at his house, reminding him to eat dinner and telling him to consider reading his text messages. When he did he was quite surprised. He had one from Puck (sucks about you and kurt, halo at my place?), one from Finn (even though you're not dating my brother, we can still be friends, right?), one from Mercedes (kurt is my boy, but i'm always here for you bb), one from Brittany (Now that you're not dating kurt, wanna make out?) and even one from Santana (C'est la vie frodo). The messages continued in this fashion, a combination of sympathies and hang out requests. He responded to each of them, saying that he was fine, and they would hang out soon, before he realized there wasn't one from Kurt. His twelfth message was a coupon code for some online store. He preoccupied himself with thoughts from that afternoon to distract himself. And try as he might, Blaine couldn't help but be jealous of the little boy who spent his formative years in a tree with Mike Chang.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay... I'm not sure how people will feel about this chapter. Just please don't hate me or any of the characters when you read it.**

**Thanks to anyone who's read/reviewed or helped in any way.**

**Enjoy! **

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><p>Blaine did not want to go to glee club. He hadn't seen Kurt since the breakup, having managed to avoid him in the halls. Now facing him was inevitable unless he quit New Directions. However the moment he turned around he walked into Tina.<p>

"To glee club?"

Tina offered him her arm, and they walked to the choir room together. They were some of the first to arrive, and thankfully, the group already there did not include Kurt. He knew he would have to face him eventually, but delaying that as long as possible was a lovely idea. They sat in the back row and she filled him in on the week's assignment: country music. She was planning on singing Taylor Swift, even though she knew it was a bit of a cop out. The room was filling up and she was just asking Blaine if he had any ideas when Kurt walked in.

"Mr Shuester, I'd like to perform for this week's assignment."

"Okay Kurt, go ahead."

_Baby, I've got plans tonight__  
><em>_You don't know nothin about__  
><em>_I've been sittin round way too long__  
><em>_Tryin' to figure you out__  
><em>_But you say that you'll call and you don't__  
><em>_And I'm spinnin my wheels__  
><em>_So I'm goin out tonight in my red high heels_

_I'm gonna call up that old boyfriend you said__  
><em>_Still has it bad for me__  
><em>_I'm gonna take him into town, flaunt him around__  
><em>_For everyone to see__  
><em>_Well, you said once yourself, baby__  
><em>_Yeah, you know the deal__  
><em>_Nobody holds a candle to me__  
><em>_In my red high heels_

_Oh, you can watch me walk if you want to, want to__  
><em>_I bet you want me back now don't you, don't you__  
><em>_I'm about to show you just how missin me feels__  
><em>_In my red high heels_

_All those games you tried to play__  
><em>_Well they ain't gonna work on me now__  
><em>_I put a barbed wire fence around my heart, baby__  
><em>_Just to keep you out__  
><em>_Well, you thought I'd wait around forever__  
><em>_But baby get real__  
><em>_I just kicked you to the curb__  
><em>_In my red high heels_

_Oh, you can watch me walk if you want to, want to__  
><em>_I bet you want me back now don't you, don't you__  
><em>_I'm about to show you just how missin me feels__  
><em>_In my red high heels_

_Oh, you can watch me walk if you want to, want to__  
><em>_I bet you want me back now don't you, don't you__  
><em>_I'm about to show you just how missin me feels_

_Oh, you can watch me walk if you want to, want to__  
><em>_I bet you want me back now don't you, don't you__  
><em>_I'm about to show you just how missin' me feels__  
><em>_In my red high heels__  
><em>_In my red high heels__  
><em>_In my red high heels_

Kurt was in fact, wearing red high heels throughout the song. That, however was pretty much all Blaine saw, as his head was in his hands most of the performance. He was trying not to cry.

"I haven't been that offended since Rachel and Finn's duet last year"

"What? I've said it before and I'll say it again, fashion has no gender. And no one but Jesse St James has ever had a problem with me singing a girl's song."

"It's not your wardrobe Kurt. You broke up with Blaine. He doesn't deserve this."

Blaine couldn't take anymore, and for the second time that year, he left the choir room in tears. This time it was Santana that chased after him.

"Wait, hobbit—I mean Blaine!"

"Why?"

"Because, I don't know why, but Brit Brit really likes you. She also wants to make out with you regardless of the fact that you are capital 'G' gay, Raine or no Raine."

"Rain?"

"Rachel and Blaine, like you and Kurt were Klaine, keep up little man. Anyway, talk to me."

He couldn't help but run his fingers through his hair in frustration, which was much easier since he had stopped using so much gel.

"It's just, I used to be like this. I used to run, every time things got bad. But then I met Kurt. He gave me the courage to stand up, the courage to get help, and the courage to be myself. But now he's singing about the joys of being single, and I'm back to the fucking mess I used to be."

"First off, I like it when you swear, it's sexy. Second, I like Hummel—never mind, I don't really like him. But that's not the point. Kurt didn't make you stronger, you made you stronger. And third, it's not weak to walk away, it's weak to never go back, and you, former Warbler, are going back as soon as Mike finishes going all crazy Asian on your ex."

"Mike? What?"

"He was about to tear Porcelain's little head off when I left."

"Oh shit."

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout."

"Santana, we don't have time for your fucking kinky shit, we have to go back and fix things."

Blaine winked at her as he said this. He wanted her to know that he appreciated her pep talk, but they really had to get back to the choir room, and she didn't seem like the type of person who would accept a 'thank you' anyway.

" Me gusta! But yes, yes, go be the hero, save Kurt from the wrath of your bestie."

When they reached the door, Kurt was storming out, and he walked past Blaine and Santana without meeting their eyes.

"Should I go after him?"

"He's not your problem anymore Curly."

When they walked back through the door Blaine didn't know what to do. He mumbled his apologies and returned to his seat. Now Santana sat on his other side. He tried to shoot Mike a look of—well maybe not gratitude—something, but he refused to meet his eyes. Tina wouldn't either, so he just sat quietly. But he wouldn't be able tell you a single word that Mr Schuester said, his mind was once again on his best friend. Why did he yell at Kurt? He wouldn't be surprised if his best friend was pretty much any of the girls, barring Brittany, or even Puck, but Mike Chang? He had _heard_ that he got mad once over the lack of recognition the academic decathlon team was getting, and he was one of the guys that took on Karofsky last year, but really? He didn't seem all that confrontational. Mike left quickly at the end of rehearsal and Blaine let him go. But he couldn't help but stop Puck on the way out.

"I don't get it, why is everyone taking my side? You've all known Kurt so much longer."

"New Directions is a family, a dysfunctional, incestuous family, but still a family. Like it or not, you're a part of it. And when someone hurts one of our family members, we hurt them. No matter who it is."

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><p>When he called Mike later he didn't want to talk about it. Instead they made plans to watch Harry Potter at Mike's place. They didn't have to even mention that though. It was always assumed that Blaine would come over, as long as they'd been friends. They both tended to avoid the Anderson residence as much as possible. The door was open when he got there, and he walked into the living room to find Mike knitting a black and yellow scarf.<p>

"Hufflepuff, really?"

"Hufflepuff and proud."

"I used to always think I was a Gryffindor, but I don't know anymore."

"What do you mean Blaine?"

"I'm starting to think the only reason I was ever brave was because my—my..._eating disorder_, it made me feel like I was in control. And then I had my relationship with Kurt, and now I feel powerless."

"Well, is there something else in your life you could be in charge of? Your grades maybe?"

"Too easy. Sorry, but after my time at Dalton, McKinley is just review."

"No offence taken. You could take up knitting like me. I could teach you."

"No thanks."

"Well, what about singing?"

"What about it?"

"Doesn't that make you feel, uh, 'in control'?"

"It does."

"Then you should sing more."

"You should sing more too."

"Don't you remember my born this way shirt? I can't sing."

"I don't believe it for a second. You know what? We're going to sing a song together. For this week's assignment."

Mike stopped knitting and looked at him as if he had turned purple. He dropped the subject and put on the first movie. But he wasn't admitting defeat, this surrender was only temporary. He sat down next to Mike on the couch and watched with wonder, as the little boy on screen learned exactly how special he was.

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><p>He must have fallen asleep sometime during the third movie—the last thing he could remember was the scene with the Whomping Willow. He awoke to find himself curled up against Mike's side. There was nothing wrong with that though. Friends cuddled all the time, right? Mike's knitting was on the floor, and he had one arm around Blaine and the other propping up his head. He knew he should move, or maybe even go home, but Mrs Chang never minded when he slept over, and he really didn't want to go back to his empty house. So instead he snuggled back into his best friend and went back to sleep.<p>

It was light out when he awoke again, but this time he was alone on the couch, and there was a blanket on top of him. Mike was sitting on the floor near his feet eating cereal, and he had apparently changed. When he went to get up, a pair of pants, a t-shirt and a cardigan fell off the couch.

"I thought you'd want to wear something different to school today. The pants might be a little long, but—"

"I can roll them up, thanks."

"Froot loops?"

Mike held up the box with one hand and gestured to the empty bowl and spoon with the other. For once, Blaine actually wanted to eat them. He didn't care about how unhealthy they were, and he didn't need the hunger to deal with the loneliness, because he wasn't lonely. He took the box from Mike and they grinned at each other. He seemed to realize how big of a step this was. After breakfast Blaine got dressed. Mike's clothes fit him fairly well other than the length. And after he rolled up the pants and pushed up the sleeves of the cardigan, he looked okay. They took his car to school, and got there just in time.

When he sat down in his first class he instinctively looked over to Tina's seat, as they had become fairly close. He caught her eyes quickly and she looked at him in horror. Oh yeah, he was wearing her boyfriend's clothes. He didn't think of it that way, but... God, now he was. He could smell Mike all over him. If it was comforting, that would be okay. If it made him smile, everything would be fine. If it made him feel less alone, he would have been in the clear. But it didn't. It kind of really turned him on. Well, he _had_ always had a clothes sharing kink. It totally looked like he had spent the night at the Chang's in a less than PG way. His hair was gel free and he hadn't really managed to get rid of his bed head, and fuck, he wasn't just wearing one of Mike's sweaters, he was wearing his _favourite _sweater. He sighed and tried not to breathe through his nose for the rest of the period.

Every time he saw a member of the glee club, they did a double take, even the guys. Then he saw Kurt in the hall. Kurt gave him a look almost identical to Tina's from that morning, but neither of them stopped. At lunch, no one mentioned it, but Kurt and Tina ignored both him and Mike. The afternoon was less awkward, because at that point, everyone who would notice already had. Blaine and Mike entered the choir room a few minutes late to find Tina standing by the piano, fiddling with her sheet music. As soon as they sat down she looked Blaine straight in the eyes and began to sing.

_Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>I'm begging of you please don't take my man<br>Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>Please don't take him just because you can<em>

_Your beauty is beyond compare  
>With flaming locks of auburn hair<br>With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green  
>Your smile is like a breath of spring<br>Your voice is soft like summer rain  
>And I cannot compete with you, Jolene<em>

He talks about you in his sleep  
>There's nothing I can do to keep<br>From crying when he calls your name, Jolene

And I can easily understand  
>How you could easily take my man<br>But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>I'm begging of you please don't take my man<br>Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>Please don't take him just because you can<p>

_You could have your choice of men  
>But I could never love again<br>He's the only one for me, Jolene_

I had to have this talk with you  
>My happiness depends on you<br>And whatever you decide to do, Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>I'm begging of you please don't take my man<br>Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene  
>Please don't take him even though you can<br>Jolene, Jolene

"What happened? I thought you we going to sing 'Mine'."

"I thought I'd choose something a bit more relevant."

"Relevant? What do you mean, who's going after Mike?"

"You're really that oblivious? All the time you spend together, the way he defends you, the way he looks at you, and you don't have a clue?"

"Do you think he told me about her?"

"It's not a 'her' Blaine, it's you."

"What? Mike's my best friend, he doesn't—I don't..."

"Mike always chooses you over me, and he barely looks at me anymore. He tells me he likes boys after openly defending your honour. You don't expect me to see a connection? Whatever Blaine. I don't think I can really hang out with you anymore, sorry."

Blaine stood there dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway. Mike didn't feel that way about him, did he? The clothes sharing and cuddling aside, he didn't feel that way about him. He was pretty sure at least. But that was how things were with Kurt; he was in love with him for months without ever really realizing it. Would he have some sort of epiphany about his feelings for Mike?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I got a couple of reviews last chapter and I thought I'd reply to it here in case anyone else had similar thoughts. In this story, we see what Blaine sees; hear what he hears and what he thinks. That was why there were only lyrics and no accompanying... anything for the two songs; the first because Blaine was uncomfortable, the second because he was confused. Hopefully this chapter is less wall-of-text-y when it comes to lyrics.**

**The other was about confusion regarding who was speaking. The choice not to use dialogue tags was a stylistic decision I made when I first wrote Hunger. It was intended to be a one-shot, but when I continued, I decided to continue writing that way. If more people have a problem with this, let me know, but I tend to only identify the person if it's hard to tell who it is, or if it's significant to the plot.**

**The second song in this chapter is Hey Molly by Mike Lombardo, and I recommend listening to it for full effect. He's excellent.**

**Sorry for the long author's note and thanks for reading.**

* * *

><p>Blaine had managed to convince Mike to sing with him through a combination of charm and compromise. They agreed that Mike's involvement would be minimal, he would get to dance and Blaine would learn how to knit. They took the stage at the next glee club rehearsal, and Blaine was bouncing with excitement. When everyone was settled he began to sing.<p>

_Every time you take a sip__  
><em>_In this smoky atmosphere__  
><em>_You press that bottle to your lips__  
><em>_And I wish I was your beer__  
><em>_In the small there of your back__  
><em>_Your jeans are playing peekaboo__  
><em>_I'd like to see the other half__  
><em>_Of your butterfly tattoo_

He couldn't help but beam as he and Mike danced in front of their peers. He felt in control again. He felt strong. He was doing what he was good at, what he loved.

_Hey, that gives me an idea__  
><em>_Let's get out of this bar__  
><em>_Drive out into the country__  
><em>_And find a place to park_

Mike sang the last line, and they sang the chorus together.

_'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight__  
><em>_I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks__  
><em>_I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers__  
><em>_And I'd like to check you for ticks__  
><em>

_I know the perfect little path__  
><em>_Out in these woods I used to hunt__  
><em>_Don't worry babe, I've got your back__  
><em>_And I've also got your front__  
><em>_Now, I'd hate to waste a night like this__  
><em>_I'll keep you safe you wait and see__  
><em>_The only thing allowed to crawl all over you__  
><em>_When we get there is me__  
><em>

The choreography Mike had worked out was similar to line dancing—or was it square dancing? Blaine didn't really know the difference. All he knew was that it wasn't far flung from the usual Warbler two step, and so he was quite comfortable with it.

_You know every guy in here tonight__  
><em>_Would like to take you home__  
><em>_But I've got way more class than them__  
><em>_Babe, that ain't what I want_

_'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight__  
><em>_I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks__  
><em>_I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers__  
><em>_And I'd like to check you for ticks_

_You never know where one might be__  
><em>_There's lots of places that are hard to reach__  
><em>_I gotcha_

_I'd like to see you out in the moonlight  
><em>_I'd like to kiss you, baby, way back in the sticks  
><em>_I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers  
><em>_And I'd like to check you for ticks  
><em>_Oh, I'd sure like to check you for ticks_

After they finished their song, the only one clapping was Brittany. Everyone else just stared. Puck finally spoke up after Blaine started expecting crickets.

"Like, guys, we had suspicions since you started sharing clothes and Tina sang that song, but, you two are actually boning?"

"What?"

"That song?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh god Blaine, you don't mean? When I Get You Alone, ET?"

"What about them?"

"Who did he sing _When I Get You Alone_ to?"

"Jeremiah, he worked at the Gap."

"What is everyone talking about?"

"The fact that you've been singing really, like _truly,_ dirty songs all this time without realizing it."

"Guys, you're embarrassing him. Anyway, remember the time the Celibacy Club sang Afternoon Delight? Blaine's not the first person to not realize how dirty a song is. He's just, innocent."

"Innocent, really Chang? Song or no song, you two are totally getting it on."

"Blaine?"

"Blaine?"

"I think we broke him."

"Michael and I are just friends and from now on I will make an effort to choose more appropriate songs."

Blaine spoke quickly and sat down. He didn't look at anyone as rehearsal continued and various other people preformed. They were in Blaine's car when he broke his silence. He focused his eyes forward and kept both his hands on the steering wheel.

"How bad were those songs?"

"I don't know, I think Puck and Artie kind of rocked as Big and Rich."

"No, I mean the songs I sang."

"You mean, you actually didn't realize? I thought that it was your thing, your shtick... Oh god. Really, really bad. Ironically, they'd be funny, but seriously, they're kind of creepy."

He mimed hitting his head off the steering wheel.

"Santana will never let me live this down. Ever."

"No, she probably won't. More Harry Potter at my place?"

"Sure, I just have to grab some stuff from my house first."

Blaine turned the corner to his house and saw something unexpected: his parents' cars were both in the driveway.

Blaine hadn't considered his relationship with his parents in a long time. They were gone more often than they were home, so he really didn't get the chance. He only really had the times when they were at the house for an extended period of time, or when one of them had some time off to go on. Like the time his father bought an old car for them to restore. He had been eating again for a few days and his dad was paying attention to him, so he was in good spirits. The music was always classic rock, and he knew not to sing along. Every time he tried to talk he would change the subject. Talk of glee club turned to talk of football, so he did his best to learn everything he could about it. Anything at all to do with his sexuality was dismissed with a request for some tool or other.

That was the only time though. His father hadn't paid him much attention since they finished the car. It sat in the garage collecting dust, and the both of them drove other cars. Blaine didn't want to deal with the bad memories associated with it, and it just wasn't nice enough for his dad. So when he walked into the house, he expected nothing. And that was what he got. He walked in, went to his room, go changed and returned to Mike's car without seeing either of his parents.

* * *

><p>When he got home a few hours later, his parents were still there. His dad acknowledged his presence as he walked past his office. He went to his room and changed again into pyjamas. His mom came in and asked him if he had eaten dinner, and when he said he had, she said her goodnight. He stopped her before she closed the door.<p>

"How long are you going to be home?"

"I'm not sure honey. A while probably."

She smiled at him and walked away. He was already nostalgic for an empty house. Now that he was getting better, he was feeling more comfortable alone. He thought back to his time at Mike's that evening. They had cuddled again, this time not by accident, and he couldn't help but wonder if it meant the same thing to Mike as it did to him.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks, Blaine couldn't help but notice Mike more in ways other than he used to. The way his jeans fit, or the way he always helped Artie around or the way his hips moved when he danced or the way he always helped people before they asked for it. And when he <em>danced, <em>god. He used to be able to form coherent thoughts, but his mind went straight to the gutter. Every. Single. Time. Mike was his best friend. He wasn't supposed to think like this.

But everyone thought they were dating. No matter what they said, no one believed them. They were still being ignored by Kurt and Tina, although Blaine had little problem with it. He didn't want to talk to anyone about this, much less his ex-boyfriend. Well, actually, that wasn't true. Blaine did want to talk to someone about this; he wanted to talk to Mike.

Talking wasn't his style though, he had to sing about it, and he had just the song. He invited Mike over for movies and picked him up from his house when he agreed. They walked quietly through the house. The grand piano still sat in the living room, a relic of the days when his mom cared enough to ask him to perform for her on a regular basis. For once he was glad though, it would have been hard for him to give an excuse for them to be in any other room. He sat behind it, immediately feeling more comfortable with his plan. Impending rejection or no, he felt safer sitting on this bench. Mike looked at him funny as he started to play.

"I had something to say ask you, and in true New Directions style, I decided to sing about it. So, enjoy."

_Excuse me, there, Mikey  
><em>_I couldn't help but notice your hair  
><em>_It's fantastic today  
><em>_I set an alarm on my Power Rangers wristwatch  
><em>_So I could remember I had to be there  
><em>_When you were leaving math class  
><em>_Here's what I've been meaning to ask you:_

He took a deep breath and looked at the other boy instead of at the keys. He had to make sure he knew that he meant this; that this wasn't just another one of his inappropriate song choices; that he really, really, cared.

_Hey Mikey, can we go to the dance?  
><em>_If you don't want to, then I'll understand  
><em>_But if you like me, won't you come take my hand?  
><em>_And if you'll love me, then I'll never play Halo again._

He averted his eyes again. He was too nervous to keep looking. Something about this boy who he had known for so long made him nervous now.

_Mom won't let me drink coffee  
><em>_But I'll buy you hot chocolate instead  
><em>_And I heard you like comics,  
><em>_I got a bunch we could read  
><em>_When we're stretched out on my ninja turtles bedspread  
><em>_We can watch cats on YouTube  
><em>_Or watch me solve my Rubik's cube  
><em>_In two minutes_

_It's ok if you don't want to go  
><em>_There will be no hard feelings,  
><em>_This I can tell you  
><em>_At least in my dreams, and I think you should know  
><em>_We've been dancing, quite awkwardly  
><em>_To the theme song from Zelda_

At this point he considered the fact that he was singing a song by a guy named Mike, to a guy named Mike, and hoped the former would have no problem with this appropriation. It was a good distraction.

_Hey Mikey, can we go to the dance?  
><em>_If you don't want to, then I'll understand  
><em>_But if you like me, won't you come take my hand?  
><em>_And if you'll love me, then I'll never play Halo again._

"Mike Chang, would you go out with me?"

He sat there rather awkwardly waiting for a response. Then Mike moved over to the bench.

"I wanted to sing my response, but I couldn't think of anything good. But yes. Yes I'll go out with you. But I can, however, sing this."

"What?"

Mike reached around Blaine to play the piano. His shaking fingers barely got through the first line of the song—Kelly Clarkson's 'Can I Have A Kiss?'—before Blaine silenced him by fulfilling his request. It was over quickly and Blaine looked over at Mike.

"I really like you."

"I really like you too. Wanna watch Stardust?"

"I'd love to."

Mike got up from the bench, helped Blaine up as well, and didn't let go of his hand, even when they reached the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

"I like this."

"Me too. You make a good pillow."

"No, I mean, I like just... spending time with you. No pressure. Tina always—"

"Wanted to make out? Kurt did too."

"It's nice to just be around each other. But I do like kissing you too."

"No, I get it. I think we just have a deeper emotional connection with each other."

Mike leaned in to whisper in Blaine's ear, but Blaine turned to face him.

"Is it because I'm Asian?"

Blaine stuck his tongue out at Mike and gave him an Eskimo kiss. It was Sunday afternoon and they were curled up together on the couch in Mike's living room watching TV. The house had been silent for hours and his parents' car wasn't in the driveway, so they assumed they were home alone. Then they heard the sound of breaking glass. Mrs Chang was standing next to the couch, one hand positioned as if still holding her teacup, the other over her mouth. Blaine quickly extricated himself from her son's lap and stood up to outstretch his hand.

"Mrs Chang, it's lovely to see you."

"Tina?"

"No, it's Blaine ma'am, Blaine Anderson."

But she was looking at Mike. He looked down guiltily before responding.

"We broke up a few weeks ago."

And then they began to speak in rapid Chinese. Blaine didn't even try to keep up. He knew quite a few languages, but not really Cantonese. After a few minutes, she seemed satisfied and looked over at Blaine appraisingly.

"At least he's a little bit Asian."

He opened his mouth to respond but she had already turned away. Mike motioned for him to return to his spot.

"So what was that all about?"

"Uh, I told her the story, nothing about you really, don't worry, she said we'd talk to my dad later, but that she doesn't really see a problem with us dating."

"Wow. That's good. I'm glad she's so accepting of us—er, you."

"I like that, us. So do you think we should tell people?"

Blaine hadn't really considered that. On one hand, he really wanted to tell everyone. Shout it from the rooftops that he was dating Mike Chang. He wanted to hold hands in the hallways and sing cheesy duets together in glee club. On the other hand, there were Kurt and Tina. Neither of them would be particularly happy at the news. In fact, Blaine was considering wearing Kevlar when he told them; Blaine had been told early in his relationship with Kurt about Burt's supposed shotgun collection. Really though, the pros outweighed the cons.

"How about tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me. You're sure though?"

"You're the one coming out of the closet Mike, are you sure you're ready?"

"Born ready."

"So why'd it take so long?"

Blaine was just teasing; he knew it was easier for Mike to be straight in Lima, safer. He cuddled in closer to his boyfriend and was surprised to hear a response to his question.

"Maybe I was just waiting to fall in love with you."

Mike kissed the top of his head, but he barely noticed as he sat there in shock. Love was the word he had just heard, right?

"Yes Blaine, I love you. I've been in love with you since that day in the tree."

Blaine was still a little bit in shock, so he dealt with it the same way he always did, changing the subject.

"You say you love me, but you haven't even taken me on a proper date!"

"Oh? The onus is on me to plan the dates? Is it because I'm taller? Is it because of my abs? I think it's because I'm more Asian than you. Regardless, I'd be glad to take you out. How about a movie?"

They saw no reason to wait. Mike slipped away for a moment and returned a few minutes later, rubbing lipstick off his cheek and fiddling with his car keys. He already had his coat on and Blaine grabbed his from the hall closet before stepping out the door that Mike was holding open.

They chose the latest romantic comedy, as they were a shared guilty pleasure. When they entered the theatre, Mike hurried toward two free seats near the middle, on the end of the row. They were positioned in front of a railing. Blaine was told that these were the best seats in the house, as one could put their feet up without offending anyone. When they sat down, Mike began to pull things out of his coat pockets. Among them were grapes, crackers, liquorice, and finally two bottles of pop.

"I opened yours before we left. Hopefully it's flat enough for you by now. Or if you don't want that one, we can switch..."

"It's perfect Mike. Thank you for all of this."

"No problem."

The movie was terrible, but in the best way, and it was vastly improved by their commentary. The left the theatre hand in hand, not caring who saw, or so they thought. They would have preferred not to be seen as such by Kurt, Tina and Mercedes, who were apparently seeing the next showing of the movie they had just come from. Blaine knew what he had to do; he had to talk to Kurt alone. He shot his boyfriend an apologetic glance before gesturing for Kurt to come with him.

"So you two are dating now?"

His arms were crossed and he seemed to be doing his best to look indifferent.

"Yes. Does that bother you?"

Kurt dropped his act immediately. He had never been good at lying to Blaine.

"A little bit. But mostly just that you moved on so fast."

"Kurt, you broke up with me."

"I know..."

"Kurt, someday, someday you're going to find someone, someone perfect for you. We were good together, we really were, but you're going to find something so much better than what we had, because you're amazing Kurt. Amazing, and you deserve to be happy."

"Is that what you have with Mike? Something amazing?"

Blaine couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I think I do."

"Well, I can't be angry about that, now can I?"

Kurt took a step forward and hugged Blaine. It was goodbye, for good this time. They rejoined Mike and the girls, and they were all smiling. Tina stepped forward.

"I'm sorry Blaine, I guess I was just jealous. For good reason it seems, but I was unfair to you."

She gave him a hug too. And then Mercedes hugged him because she didn't want to be left out. After that they went their separate ways. Mike took Blaine's hand again, and they walked to the car, both thinking that tomorrow was going to be a lot easier now.

Instead of driving home, Mike drove to that little park in his old neighbourhood. They walked together through the tall grass and the snow, and sat in the hollow of the giant tree. They didn't have any blankets, and the only light came from a streetlamp by the swing set and from the night sky. So they huddled together in the cold and the dark, not speaking a word until Blaine realized something.

"I love you too, you know that, right?"

"I do, but it's nice to hear you say it."

And even though they knew that the next day they would face the scrutiny of their peers and staff, even though they knew that Blaine still had recovering to do, even though they knew that tomorrow the world would view Mike in a whole new way, they didn't think about it. They lived in the now. And right now they were two boys in love, kissing in a tree in the moonlight.

THE END


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